VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION COUNSELOR
2233
The work involves responsibility for planning and coordinating the vocational rehabilitation of students with disabling physical, mental, emotional or learning disabled handicapping conditions with the primary goal being to help vocationally handicapped individuals obtain and retain optimum employment. The Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor assesses students' vocational aptitude, interests and skills and develops individualized vocational rehabilitation programs which combine specialized educational activities with counseling services. In addition to coordinating assessments and providing counseling services to special education students, the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor counsels and confers with the students' parents and teachers to develop an integrated approach to the vocational needs of the student. An employee in this classification is allowed considerable leeway in exercising independent judgment and initiative in the development of vocational rehabilitation plans and counseling activities. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Principal of Central Technical Vocational Center. Supervision is not typically exercised by an employee in this class. Does related work as required.
Plans and coordinates the vocational rehabilitation of special education students with disabling physical, mental, emotional or learning disabled handicapping conditions.
Assesses students' interests, attitudes, aptitudes and* work behaviors through the interpretation of standard psychometric tests, work sample evaluations, case history review and other diagnostic techniques; coordinates and schedules the assignment of students to the in‑district assessment center for assessment services.
Reviews and clarifies information from diagnostic tests and other data gathering techniques and discusses findings with the student, the students parents and the students' teachers.
Participates with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation in the preparation of individualized vocational rehabilitation plans for students outlining specific goals, timetables and services to be provided.
Counsels and assists special education students in the development of realistic goals, work appropriate behaviors, school to work transition activities and adjustment problems.
Counsels students parents in the development of realistic program goals and expectations, vocational options available to their children and individual program plans and activities.
Counsels and confers with the students' teachers regarding the vocational evaluation program, specific test results and their significance, the range and particular benefits of individual programs for students and specific vocational goals, timetables and services to be provided by the school district.
Provides joint counseling sessions for both teachers and handicapped students within a vocational school setting, either in a "mainstream'' class setting or a self contained class for handicapped students.
organizes, develops and schedules program activity assignments with service provider agencies; recommends and schedules students for vocational evaluations with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the local BOCES or other service provider agencies.
Initiates application procedures for Special Education students eligible for services provided by the New York State Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Confers with training specialists and their program service providers regarding clients' program progress and discusses results with clients, their families and teachers.
Coordinates and conducts staff development and training sessions for teachers to explain and discuss the Vocational Rehabilitation program, vocational programming options, assessment tools and results programming possibilities for the future.
May coordinate and schedule transportation and lunch schedules for students traveling to and from program activities both within and outside of the school setting.
Performs follow‑up studies on students who have completed the school program to evaluate program outcomes.
Participates in staff meetings and conferences designed to define client goals, problems and evaluate progress.
May act as agency representative through membership on various Special Education related Boards and Advisory Councils.
Prepares a variety of narrative as well as tabular reports and records.
Thorough knowledge of the methods and techniques of rehabilitative counseling.
Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices, methods and techniques of vocational evaluation and adjustment services within rehabilitation.
Good knowledge of the theory, research and practices relating to disability and its effect upon psychological behavior and adjustment.
Working knowledge of community resources, service agencies and school district programs that car be utilized in planning for the vocational rehabilitation of physically, emotionally and learning disabled mentally handicapped students.
Ability to use and interpret the sources of occupational information in evaluation, counseling and other rehabilitative services.
I Ability to establish and maintain effective interpersonal relationships with clients for the purpose of facilitating the rehabilitation process.
Ability to understand, interpret and prepare written narrative and tabular reports.
Ability to communicate effectively orally.
A. Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a Baccalaureate Degree and three (3) years of professional level work experience, or its part time equivalent, in either:
Vocational rehabilitation counseling of the physically or mentally handicapped; or,
Professional, educational or vocational guidance(including social casework) of the physically or mentally handicapped or persons with difficulty in securing employment because of inadequate vocational and/or educational skills in which the major emphasis is on finding solutions to the clients occupational problems.
B. Seven (7) years of paraprofessional or professional level work experience, or its part time equivalent, three (3) years of which must have been in a professional level work capacity as defined in (A).
An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of (A) and (B).
NOTE: Successful completion of thirty (30) graduate semester credit hours with specialization in vocational rehabilitation, educational and vocational guidance, psychology or social work may be substituted for one (1) year of the specialized experience described above; a Master's degree in an approved graduate program in rehabilitation counseling, which included a supervised internship, may be substituted for two (2) years of the specialized experience described above.
3/83 Date of Original Composition
Review Date: